Legislative Update Logistics

Keep up with changes to meeting locations and how to access state Capitol buildings.

Logistics for the 2016 Legislative Session

The ongoing restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol and the opening of the Minnesota Senate Building mean changes for meeting locations and how to access state Capitol buildings.

With the 2016 legislative session quickly approaching, I am writing to provide your membership with information on finding meetings with legislators, legislative hearings, and floor sessions. Please note that the Capitol Restoration website will be updated throughout the session: mn.gov/capitol-restoration.

Senate

The Senate will conduct its legislative activities in the new Minnesota Senate Building (MSB). The Senate Chamber will be temporarily relocated to the new building for the 2016 session. Senate committee hearing rooms and offices for senators are also located in the MSB. Republican senators will continue to office in the State Office Building for this legislative session. Here is a link to information about the MSB including maps and parking information: http://mn.gov/admin/capitol-restoration/visiting/senate/index.jsp.

House of Representatives

Most legislative activities for the House of Representatives will continue to occur in the State Office Building. House legislative offices and committee hearing rooms have not moved. Floor sessions will occur in the House Chamber. Access to the State Capitol building will be quite limited.

House Chamber

The Capitol Building is an active construction site, which limits accessibility to the House Chamber. The building will only be open when the House of Representatives is conducting business on the House floor. Capacity in and around the Chamber is limited to 258 people, including legislators and staff.

A pass system will be used to facilitate public access with an alternate viewing location set up in Room 10 of the State Office Building.

Passes

The number of passes will be limited and distributed on a first-come basis.

The passes will only be valid for the legislative day that they are issued.

Capitol Security will distribute public passes on the Ground Floor of the State Office Building on days that there will be a session.

Public Access

Public access to the Capitol for those with passes will be from the tunnel to the southwest elevators.

Access will be only to the Capitol"s second floor and the designated path from the elevator.

The House has designated the east alcove of the House Chamber as a public viewing area for those with passes. A pass does not guarantee access to the alcove.

The public will be able to send messages to legislators in the House Chamber by:

The Page Desk that will be adjacent to the House Chamber (for those with a pass)

Room 10 of the State Office Building will have a computer for messages to the Page Desk that will be printed and delivered to legislators" desks.

Please do not hesitate to contact Assistant Commissioners Erin Campbell (651) 201-2561 or Curt Yoakum (651) 201-2771 of my staff should you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Matthew Massman
Commissioner, Department of Administration

Follow MDHR on Facebook, Twitter

You can follow us on Twitter @mnhumanrights, which covers more general issues, and @MnDHRleg, which, provides more specific legislative updates throughout the session. You can also find us on Facebook.